Farmers car insurance review 2024

Farmers has been insuring cars since 1928 and offers standout benefits, including nearly two dozen discounts to lower your rates. If you're in the market for rideshare insurance or non-owner insurance, Farmers has those policies, along with many others.

And while there are more than 48,000 Farmers agents across the U.S., we love that you can buy a policy and file claims online.

Pros

• Wide range of coverage, including accident forgiveness and rideshare insurance
• Numerous discounts available
• Can buy policies and file claims online
• Non-owner insurance available

Cons

• Higher-than-average rates
• Safe-driver discount may result in rates going up
• Gap insurance not available

Farmers offers auto insurance in 42 states. In July 2023, the company announced it would not issue new Farmers-branded auto insurance in Florida, adding there would be no impact to 70% of current policies in the state.

Basic coverage

Full coverage car insurance is typically needed if you leased or financed your car:

• Liability: the minimum coverage allowed in most states, liability insurance pays for damages to others if you cause an accident. 
• Collision: Pays to repair or replace your vehicle after an accident.
• Comprehensive: Pays for damages or losses not caused by a collision, including theft, weather damage or hitting an animal.

Additional coverage

These policies are required in some states in addition to full coverage. Farmers does not offer gap insurance.

• Personal injury protection insurance: Also known as no-fault insurance, PIP covers medical bills, lost wages, child care and even funeral costs.
• Medical payments insurance: Covers medical bills for you, your passengers and any pedestrians, regardless of fault.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance: Covers repairs and medical bills if you are in an accident with a driver with little or no insurance.

Add-ons

Optional features offered by Farmers.

• Accident forgiveness: Farmers won't raise your rates after one at-fault accident for every three years you remain accident-free.
• Customized equipment: Covers aftermarket modifications and accessories for cars with full coverage.
• Loss of use: Provides a flat amount to pay for transportation while your car is being repaired, including public transit, rideshares or rental car.
• New car replacement coverage: If your car is less than two years old and has less than 24,000 miles, Farmers will replace it with the same model or newer if it's totaled or stolen.
• Non-owner insurance: Provides liability coverage for injuries or damages you cause if you drive but don't own a car.
• Rental car reimbursement: Reimburses the cost of a rental car for up to 30 days if your car is being repaired.
• Rideshare insurance: Rideshare companies usually only cover drivers after they accept a ride request. This add-on expands coverage to any time you're logged on to the rideshare app, even if you're waiting for a request.
• Roadside service: Get help with jump starts, fuel delivery, lockouts, flat tires, towing and winching.
• Windshield and glass coverage: Pays to repair or replace your car's glass if it's chipped or cracked.

A 12-month policy with Farmers averages $2,970 for full coverage and $1,010 for minimum coverage, compared to a national average of $2,299 for full coverage and $637 for minimum coverage. Your quote may vary based on your location, age, driving history and other factors.

Farmers has more discounts than almost any auto insurance provider we've reviewed. Not all discounts are available in every state, however, and some can't be combined.

• Affinity: Members, employees or retirees of certain organizations, businesses or professional associations may qualify for a discount.
• Alternative fuel: EVs, hybrids and non-gas-powered vehicles could qualify for a discount. Only available in California.
• Bundle: Buy your home and auto insurance from Farmers and you could save up to 10%. Also available for life insurance, umbrella insurance and other policies.
• Distant student: If you have a full-time student on your policy who lives more than 100 miles away and leaves their vehicle at home, you may qualify for a discount.
• Electronic funds transfer (ETF): Set up automatic monthly payments and save.
• ePolicy discount: Save when you go paperless.
• Good payer: Get rewarded for paying your bill on time.
• Good student: Available to students earning a 3.0 or better GPA or meet similar academic standards.
• Homeowner: If you own a home, you could get a lower rate — even if you don't have a homeowners policy with Farmers.
• Mature drivers: Drivers 55 and older who have completed safe-driver training in the last three years could save.
• Military: Active duty, reserves, retired and honorably discharged veterans may qualify for savings.
• Multi-car: Save when you insure more than one vehicle with Farmers.
• On your own: If you were previously insured on your parent's insurance and have purchased your own policy. Available to drivers under 29.
• Signal: Let Farmers monitor your driving behavior and you could receive a discount of up to 35% for being responsible behind the wheel.
• Safe driver: Save if you don't have any bodily injury claims on your insurance. 
• Shared family car: Lowers your premium if there are more drivers than vehicles.
• Pay in full: Paying in full at the start of your term could lower your rate.
• Safety features: Your rates may decrease if you have antilock brakes, daytime running lights or passive restraints.
• Security features: Save if you have anti-theft systems, homing devices or etched VIN numbers.
• Youthful driver: If you have a driver under 25 on a policy that's been in force for at least 12 months, you may qualify for a discount.

Shop for the best car insurance

Farmers has a less-than-stellar reputation for customer service: It ranked below average in all but one region in J.D. Power's 2024 U.S. Auto Insurance Study, which looks at price, ease of doing business, level of trust, product offerings, problem resolution and digital channels.

The company came in 12th out of 23 in the 2023 survey on the claims process and 11th out of 17 in the 2024 insurance shopping study.

Farmers received a typical number of complaints for a carrier its size, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, but the Better Business Bureau gave Farmers an F, citing numerous complaints that were not responded to or resolved.

You can also get the following insurance through Farmers:

• Homeowners insurance
• Renters insurance
• Condo insurance
• Life insurance
• RV insurance
• Motorcycle insurance
• Pet health insurance through Pets Best 

Here's how Farmers auto insurance stacks up to other auto insurance competition.

Farmers vs. Erie

If you prioritize online accessibility, Farmers edges out Erie, which requires policyholders to work with an agent to file a claim. Farmers scored above average for online service in J.D. Power's 2024 U.S. Insurance Digital Experience Study, while Erie came in below average.

Farmers also stands out for availability: Policies are issued in 42 states, compared to just 12 states and Washington, DC., with Erie.

Where you can get it, though, Erie comes out ahead on price: A 12-month full-coverage policy averages $1,703, compared to $2,907 for Farmers and an industry average of $2,299. Farmers offers substantially more discounts than Erie, however, which could make up some of the difference.

When it comes to customer service, Erie topped J.D. Power's auto insurance survey and came in second out of 24 for claims satisfaction, well above Farmers' middling rankings.

Farmers vs. Travelers

Travelers is another winner for affordability, with rates for full coverage averaging $1,565 a year, compared to $2,907 with Farmers.

Both companies have robust discounts, but Farmers has rate reductions for older drivers, members of the military and for sharing a family car.

Neither Travelers nor Farmers get laurels for customer service: While Farmers came out well ahead of Travelers on J.D.Power's survey on claims satisfaction, both landed below average in most regions in the 2024 U.S. auto industry study.

You can buy auto insurance on the Farmers website. You'll need to:

• Answer questions about your car, including its make, model and year.
• Share details about your driving history, including any accidents
• Choose your policy, deductible and coverage limits to get a quote

You can speak to a Farmers representative at 888-327-6335, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. CT, and Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CT. Questions about rates, claims and other topics can also be answered via online chat or email.

The Farmers mobile app allows you to pay bills, file a claim, get proof of insurance and request roadside assistance.

Farmers' widespread availability, selection of coverage options and easy-to-use website could make it the right choice for you.

Premiums are higher than many competitors, but Farmers has more discounts than nearly any insurer we've reviewed — for teens, seniors, military and many other driver categories. It's one of our top picks for bundling discounts.

As always, it's a smart idea to get quotes from several companies before deciding to buy.

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every insurance review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of insurance products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.

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